The sun had begun to dip below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the village as Rudeus and Rimuru hurried through the dirt roads, carrying Rory between them. The situation had escalated quickly—what started as a simple misunderstanding had turned into a full-blown crisis.

Rory tied to a wooden column in the middle of the village square, her arms bound behind her back, a rope wrapped around her waist. Her usual playful smile had only grown more mischievous as the crowd, now forming an angry mob and changing behind them, continued to shout accusations.

“Witch!” one villager yelled, his voice trembling with both fear and anger. “Burn her!”

“Devil’s spawn!” another shouted. “She’ve cursed the crops and the Livestock!”

The villagers, fueled by superstition and fear, had mistaken Rory for a witch due to her gothic attire couple with her unflinching confidence. And it didn’t help that Rory had, of course, leaned into the role when they confronted her.

"Oh my, you’ve caught me!" she joked like she did earlier while grinning from ears to ears as the angry villagers chased after the person that they think to be a witch. "I suppose this is the part where I cackle and promise doom upon your pathetic little village."

Needless to say, the joke didn't land well. And now, here she was—tied up, and being pursued by a crowd calling for her public execution.

“Rory!” Rimuru call out clearly not happy since the 3 of them just got to this village not long and now they have to running away from an angry mob with her over his and Rudeus shoulder.

“what? I was just having a little fun!” Rory laughed, clearly enjoying herself despite the dire circumstances happening at the moment. “Besides, it’s not like I’m in any real dange, right Rudeus?” She tilted her head back to look at Rudeus with a grin.

Rudeus, who running behind while carrying rory halberd, groan as he breath heavily. “Like hell it is!! Why can't you just lay low for a single second and let Rimuru do the talking?!!.”

Chuckled from Rudeus response, she lift her head back up with a wild expection on her face. “Because it'd funny! Besides, I’ve survived worse. This is nothing to be worry about.”
As The angry mob behind them grew louder, there shouting and insults grown to while waving their makeshift weapons, ranging from pitchforks to rusty knife. The villagers’ fear was palpable. They hadn’t taken kindly to Rory’s sarcastic responses and playful taunting.

“We can’t keep this up forever,” Rimuru muttered, picking up the pace. “We need to get out of here before this gets even worse.”

“Aw~ But I want to see them try to catch us!” Rory teased, leaning back in Rimuru arms. “I bet I could take on half of them by myself!”

“Not helping!!” Rudeus grumbled, his face flushed with frustration. Although, Despite his annoyance, he couldn’t deny that Rory’s carefree attitude was somehow making the whole situation feel lighter. But he still had to focus, though since they needed to get away from the crowd as quickly as possible.

And though the mob isn't getting any closer but one of the villagers raised a torch which threatening to set the entire area ablaze if they doesn't carefull and accident burn one of their house while mouth keep screaming "BURN THE WITCH!!".

"Okay this is getting serious," Rimuru muttered eyes glancing back few time "Rudeus you have any spell to slow them down??" He ask

Hearing it Rudeus go through his thought quickly as a spell pop up in his mind. “i think I have one!”

Looking back, Rudeus while his right arm holding Rory halberd his left arm is stretch out as she use a spell that he just learn before he got teleport into this world

"Quagmire!!" Rudeus scream out his spell names and immediately after that the dirt land once arid and hard now turm into a soft and wet structure making any one step into it suck in place right away and some even fall

Though some of crowd from the behind was stopped in time as they looking around with confusion write all over their face, trying to figure out why the land suddenly turn into a mushy of mud.

“Wha—what’s happening?!” one of the villagers cried out.

“I—It must be the witch doing!" another shouted, backing away with terror I'm their eyes. “She using her demonic art on the land to hold us back!!”

Hearing that one preson said, the mob began to hesitate, clearly unnerved by the supernatural-phenomena happening before our eyes.

In the chaos of their fear and confusion, Rudeus and Rimuru seized the opportunity. “Now, Rory!” Rimuru urged as he put Rory who is still being tied on to the wooden pole dowm.

With surprising agility swift, Rory wiggled free from the ropes, laughing hysterically as she stretch her arching body. “Ah, that’s much better! Thanks for the lift, slime boys”

The moment she was free, Rory took back her halberd back from Rudeus hand as swung her it off to her back in one smooth motion, twirling it with ease as she prepared to fight off anyone who dared get too close. “I’ll show you how to really deal with mobs,” she said gleefully eger for a fight. “This is where the fun begins!” she said all excited up while staring dagering at the crowd of stuck angry mob infront of her

But Rimuru intercept, raised his hand,  signaling her to stop them said. “We are NOT fighting anyone!!" Rimuru said while pushing the tip of Rory halberd down "let’s just get out of here before things get even more out of hand.”

Rory pouted clearly not happy about Rimuru command. “Oh, you’re no fun. I was just getting warmed up!”

Rudeus, already a few steps ahead from who know when, turned back to them with a  serious expression. “Guy hury! My spell wear off anytime soon. So let's go, now before we get stick up the ass again!!”

With a final glance at the confused and hesitant mob, they made their way out of the village, leaving behind the increasingly panicked crowd.

Rory, with her playfulness, turned her attention back to Rudeus and Rimuru.

“So, what now?” she asked, still smiling as though the whole ordeal had been a grand adventure.

Rimuru sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "Don't know" he said then quickly add  “but not making you mistaken to be a witch? That is for sure.”

Rory laughed again, her voice echoing down the road as they walked away from the village, her mood still as light-hearted as ever. “Aw~Where’s the fun in that?”

And as the three of them made their way into the night, leaving the chaos behind, they couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie. Even with all the chaos and misunderstandings, they were in this together— facing whatever the world threw at them next.